Page 70 of Ramiel

Whatwasthe point of their wars?Why did Order and Chaos keep their eternal battles raging?Now that he finally had someone to love, he didn’t want to stay on the endless carousel of fighting and dying or killing all of their foes and winning.Both inevitably resulted in being sent back to the Void to be put in stasis again.

“When will it end?”Ramiel whispered too quietly to disturb Caterina.He’d slid his arm beneath her head so she could use his bicep as a pillow.The phantom pain in his back was down to a dull throb, which meant she was mostly healed now.

Mulling over his entire existence, Ramiel realized none of the Knights of Order had ever questioned Order’s plan before.They’d obeyed their commands to fight their enemies countless times.They were all chess pieces in an eternal game they had no control over.

“It isn’t fair,” he murmured in growing anger and despair.This time, Fate had placed Caterina Blaze in his path.Was his cambion supposed to be a consolation prize that he would get to have for a few short years?If so, it wasn’t fair to either of them.It was cruel to give him someone to cherish, then to whisk him back to the Void once their war was either won or lost.

Lying there with his female beside him, Ramiel couldn’t fall asleep.He desperately wanted to find his commander, but he also dreaded it.Amaros wouldn’t be happy when he found out one of his knights was having rebellious thoughts.He might blame Caterina for his unrest, believing the cambion was twisting Ramiel’s mind.

“She’s a pyrokinetic, not an emotion manipulator,” he said, trying to convince himself that it would be okay.

So far, his plan to find his brothers wasn’t going so well.His female had been wounded and could have been killed.Leaving her in the truck when he scouted the locations rather than taking her with him was equally risky.Humans could spot her and shoot her with a long-range weapon before she even knew she was in danger.He knew Caterina wouldn’t be happy about staying in this house to wait for him to return either.

How could he keep this precious, gorgeous female safe while hunting for his brothers?The conundrum followed him when he finally fell asleep long after midnight.Ramiel dreamed about past wars and this modern era until they turned into one long nightmare.He saw Caterina being overwhelmed by humans and Soldiers of Chaos over and over again.Each time she died, he felt like his soul was being torn apart.He woke with a start several times, only to sag in relief each time he found his female alive and well beside him.

His final dream was different.Ramiel and Caterina weren’t alone as they fought their enemies.His commander and half of his brothers were there as well.Other females with indistinct features he couldn’t quite make out were with them.Each one wielded a unique weapon.One shot lightning from her hands.Another was using nearby metal objects to defeat her foes, controlling them with ease.A redhead encased several opponents in ice, then Tolas shattered them with his sword.He saw one female using wood as her weapon.Trees bent to her will and smashed her enemies to pieces.

There were other females in the battle as well, but their gifts were harder to define.One seemed to anticipate what her foes would do before they struck, as if she had a form of prescience.A tiny blonde female was tossing knives with deadly accuracy.She was moving so quickly that not even the knights or soldiers could match her.

Kochab was shot in the chest, but a tall female with blonde hair caught him before he could fall.She put her hand on his chest and the wound vanished.His brother kissed the female in gratitude, then returned to the battle.

The female standing at Amaros’ side was using a rifle to attack, yet he had the distinct sense that she was the deadliest one of them all.A shadow seemed to hover around her, growing more menacing by the second.

Caterina was by his side in the dream, just like his brothers’ females stood with them.This time, she didn’t conjure up small fireballs.She concentrated and held her hands two feet apart.A gigantic ball of molten air formed between her palms.His female felt far stronger this time, as if she’d been given a huge boost of power.With a primal scream of triumph, she hurled the fireball at their enemies.It cut a wide swathe through humans and soldiers alike, instantly burning them to cinders.

Jerking awake again, dawn light now filtered through the drapes.Ramiel tried to hold onto the dream, but the details were already slipping through his fingers.He was only left with impressions and even they were hard to remember.

Chapter Forty-One

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CATERINA WOKE UP WITHher head resting on Ramiel’s bicep.Far harder than a pillow, it was still surprisingly comfortable.Or maybe having her warrior wrapped around her protectively was what gave her so much comfort.

Dawn had just arrived and she was glad to find she was still alive.She’d passed out while the bullet was being removed and had slept like a rock.Ramiel was frowning in his sleep, as if he was seeing something that puzzled him.She had vague memories of a long, repetitive dream of dying over and over again.

Ramiel’s green eyes opened suddenly, but they were blank, as if he was thinking so hard he didn’t realize she was awake.Then his eyes cleared and he focused on her.A smile lit up his handsome face.“You’re awake,” he said huskily.“How are you feeling?”